Gadget Freak Case #241: Gloved Hand Controls Airplane's Flight

Using an accelerometer and a handful of sensors, a team of Colorado State University students has created the Spatial Hand Remote. The gadget controls the flight of a remote control airplane through the sensors in a glove.

The movement of the plane follows the movement of the glove. As the hand in the glove tilts to the right or left, so does the plane. Sensors attached to fingers are used to control the throttle, roll reverse, and the on-off switch. The user's hands control the plane like a maestro controling an orchestra.

Click the image below for a slideshow on the Spatial Hand Remote.

The Spatial Hand Remote lets users fly a remote control airplane intuitively. The idea is to track the position of the right hand, so that the plane can follow the same orientation as it flies.

Some of our most inventive and colorful gadgets come from young engineers in training. This gadget was created by a team of engineering students. We've had a number of gadgets developed b student teams from both Colorado State University and Southern Methodist University. We've even had a number of gadgets submitted by a 15-year-old student. Keep your eyes out for an upcoming slide show featuring gadgets from budding engineers.

Yes Rob , You are absolutely correct now a days young engineers are developing so good and captivating projects and models that it just keep us speechless .What i was thinking is what exactly can be the usage of this gloved hand control Airplanes flight practically .

Debra, I think the practicality is in the way that many remote control devices prove their worth -- by directing action in places that are dangerous for humans. While this gadget itself doesn't necessarily fall into this role, the technology behind it does.

I agree two hundred percent!. The products that are being developed in Makerspaces and University Labs today will be common devices of tomorrow. Their product has a lot of Gestural Controls potential applications for Human Machine interfacing.

What a great Gadget Freak Case video! I'll definitely being showing this one to my Capstone Class tonight. I plan to use it as a training video on how to present their project to the audience.

I've been talking to my students about the Gadget Freak submission process. Waiting on a group of students to meet the challenge. I also have a couple of proto-designs I need to finalize for submission as well. Keep up the great work Rob!

I'm developing a bunch of gadgets for my Raspberry Pi (RPi) course on Udemy and the two Arduino books under development I would love to share with DN readers. Here's a link to my online course. I'm still evangelizing to my students the benefits of submitting their tech projects to Design News magazine.

Rob,
Yes, there is a group of Capstone students working on various microcontroller projects. Still awaiting on a group to submit a project for Gadget Freak. May have an opportunity with high school students at a local Center of Technology high school.

The project build for my gadgets will be non-enclosure, open electronic circuit breadboards. The smarts for the gadgets will consist of rapid development tools like the Arduino, Cypress PSoC, and the Raspberry Pi. The theme of my gadgets is graphics and animation interaction using Physical Computing controls. The objective behind these gadgets is to demonstrate the ease in which new product concepts can be sketch using microcontrollers and discrete I/O electronic circut interfaces for human interaction. Also, the open design approach is to stimulate readers to enhance the gadget based on their own personal requirements.

We didn't use any specific gloves. The gloves in the video an pictures were found at the local thrift shop. Tighter ftting gloves would probably work better than loose ones because it makes it easier to push the control buttons on the left hand.

If this concept is presented at Makerspaces as well as a Kickstarter project, the answer is yes. The project has alot of Open Source hardware and software elements that appeal to the Maker community. With additional Kickstarter funding, I can see this product being an educational tool for the development of gestural controls through Physical Computing and Wearable Electronics technologies.

Great project and video. Have you thought about seeking additional funding from Kickstarter to take the prototype to the next level? Also, the Maker community via Makezine.com would find this project extremely interesting to its readers. I see this product being used as a development kit for creating Gestural Control devices. Again, congratulations and great video!!!

Thanks for all the great comments. I have not thought to seekmore funding from an online source yet, but it is a good idea to consider. I may pursue the project in the future once I can devote more time to it.

Thanks for all the great comments. I have not thought to seekmore funding from an online source yet, but it is a good idea to consider. I may pursue the project in the future once I can devote more time to it.

From the look of the video, it seems an ordinary pair of women's glove will do the trick. I love this video because of the use of "off the shelf electronics" to create a really cool product! Design News Gadget Freak is quite inspiring! I have a couple of proto concepts I need to pump into the Gadget Freak pipeline. My five minutes of fame awaits me! LOL!!!

With any new handheld device the operating learning curve might be steep. With additional practice and being comfortable with the glove, you can probably do all sorts of aerial tricks using the wearable controller.

mrdon, I am sure you are right. I just kind of worry about the cost of the learning curve. I can't remember if it was crashable or not. Everyone seems to be into using your hands as controllers these days. It's a good thing I think. See where it leads.

The use of hand controls using basic gestures is somewhat natural in terms of operating devices. Adding electronics to ordinary garments like gloves allow basic hand gestures to happen naturally and reduces the learning curve to operate the attached device under control. Just like you, I'm watching this technology closely to see the final outcome.

Using the full hand as a control has to healthier than what we use now. Many people have limited dexterity as they age. Using our hands in large, natural gestures could help prevent that. It's certainly better than gripping a mouse or remote control.

You bring up an interesting point about limited dexterity in the elderly. Developing gesture based controls is perfect for the elderly because of the natural deterioriation of muscles and bones making it difficult to grip objects. I see a potential market here besides the CAD and gaming industry for gesture based controls. Very good observation Nadine J :)

Now, the use of these gloves to engage with repair robots for the ISS is an exceptional technologyy application. With haptics incorporated in the gloves, the astronauts will truly be immersed in the repair of the ISS. Not only can they see the damage part but feel the significance of its physical attributes as well during the repairs.

I'm really impressed with the Build Instructions for the Gloved Hand Controls Airplane's Flight project. As I read through the instructions, I was able to understand the layout requirements and assembly of the proto product. The software was well documented where I can easily follow the logic behind its control features and functions. The pictures were clear and documented perfectly. This Build Instruction will allow changes to be made by any Gadget Freak reader who wants to personalize the project for their intended needs. What a great project!

Followers of Design News’ Gadget Freak blogs will have the opportunity next week to take home a wireless remote demo package that can be used to build garage door openers, tire pressure monitors, keyless entry systems, and much more.

The 2015 Gadget Freak of the Year goes to the DDV-IP -- or, a Drink Deliver Vehicle – Inverted Pendulum. The gadget is a two-wheeled self-balancing robot that can deliver cold beverages to thirsty folks on a hot summer day. A wireless RF remote enables manual control of the device beyond the act of self-balancing. All of the features of the DDV-IP result in an effective delivery vehicle while providing entertainment to the users.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.